First steps are fun to watch

Over the recent Thanksgiving holidays, my 13-month-old daughter, Mackenzie, began walking on her own! After all the waiting, and cheering, and practicing, and working with her...it finally just happened. One day, she did it. No fan fare. No parade. No celebration. When the time was right, she just decided to walk.

First steps are great, but what makes them hold-your-breath suspenseful is the constant risk of falling. Maybe a better title would have been, "Falling is fun to watch." One step, two steps, fall. One step, fall. One step, two steps, three steps, fall. Every time Mackenzie fell, she looked up at us and laughed. The more she fell, the more she giggled. And do you know why? Because she knew that her mom or dad would be there to pick her up, dust her off, and set her on her feet again. Because she knows she is loved, the falling is not failure. It's just another opportunity to get hugged!

Maybe that's how we could look at our own failures. They are not the end--they are just falls in between steps. So the next time you fall, look up. Let God pick you up, love you, and set you walking again. He knows very well that one day soon, you'll be running!